A rare opportunity to travel back in time through perfume’s history… Did you know perfume actually gets its name from ‘per fumum’ – through smoke...?  Incense was enjoyed at rituals thousands of years ago, even before we started wearing perfumes on our bodies…

Now, we’ve all heard of Japanese tea ceremonies.  But one of the other arts cultivated by the Samurai and Japanese aristocracy (in around 1500 CE) was incense appreciation.  It evolved into a ritual and set of olfactory games, through which beautiful fragrances could be enjoyed…

And although it’s almost a ‘lost art’ nowadays, ceremonies are still dedicated to the enjoyment of fragrances carried via smoke.

So we’ve something very special to share with you:  on the evening of 17^th April in London, the wonderful Odette Toilette (read more about her on our site here) is offering a select number of spaces at a traditional incense experience, alongside a Kodo master who’s visiting from Japan.

Souhitsu Issiken Hachiya is master of the Shino-Ryu school, one of only two centres of knowledge in the art of Kodo.

There’s space for just 20 participants at each of the two evening sessions, who sit round in a circle while the master passes round the incense in an elaborate ceremony.

This is a very special opportunity to travel back in time through perfume’s history, in a space transformed into a tranquil Japonesque den…

Date:      17^th April 2013 Times:    5.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Venue:   Conran, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London SW3 6RD (South Kensington Tube) Price:      Tickets are £30 each to include champagne and an incense gift This event is being organised through Odette Toilette and is supported by Fornasetti Profumi, who sell traditional incense products.

For more info and to book, click here